That Redwood Beanstalk

The garden is doing well, but the oregano has not yet sprouted. I mention that particular spice because of all the seeds I planted this year, that one was by far the smallest. We're talking sneeze and lose every seed kind of small here. Now suppose that this morning I had walked out to check my garden, and right where the tiny seeds went into the ground stood a full-grown redwood tree. Surprise would seem an understatement for the look on my sleepy face. We get that sort of story from the parable of the mustard seed that Jesus told back in the day. Now, Jesus didn't say that the seed grew instantly into a mighty tree, but that is what we expect from that seed of faith planted within us.

I got saved some years ago, and I still expect that mountain-busting, tide-blocking, stop-the-earth-in-its-tracks kind of faith to greet me one morning. Thus far, the problems of yesterday seem just as real and my faith just as weak as it always has been. On the other hand, I read in a book that what we are to do with great loss is to just grind it out for the remainder of our lives while our loved ones await us in Heaven. I thought, "grind it out?" Is that all that we can do with the promises of Jesus? You know the one about abundant life and all? Somewhere between that redwood beanstalk and a life of grinding it out is the simple growing and doing faith that brings abundant life in Christ Jesus. Perhaps it is not between those two extremes, but above them. The answer to faith must rest in the unchanging and all-powerful being of God.

I cannot plant my own faith, or grow it, or harvest the fruit of it. Faith isn't something that I can touch or prune or handle with my human hands. Yet, there does seem to be room for me to join in this thing. I can feed my faith with the Word of God. I can water my faith with prayer and supplication (with thanksgiving!). I can work out and exercise my faith through the challenges of living in this fallen world. I might even stretch my faith a bit by reaching out a hand in love to others. I also practice my faith through believing in Christ each day. Believing in means that I trust what Jesus says to me through His word and His answers to prayer. Trusting is so hard when my carnal man wants to wrestle control back from God. The problem in that is that God will not wrestle with me: He will let me drive this ol' bus off the road any time I want.

God loves you and me, let us live in Him!
Bucky